Mary Onyali Sports Foundation Visits BCDA

The Mary Onyali Sports Foundation (MOSPORTS) represented by Mrs. Mary Onyali and an 8 member team paid a courtesy visit to the Acting Executive Secretary (Ag. ES) and Management Staff of the Agency on Thursday, the 3rd of May 2018.

Mrs. Onyali said MOSPORTS is a Sports Foundation aimed at providing opportunities to Nigerian youths in fulfilling their sports dreams, and one of such opportunities is the design of Basic Olive Opportunity Sports Training (BOOST) programme. The BOOST programme is expected to support 90 athletes in five sports on a two year exposure programme towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and to raise funds to support aging athletes amongst others, she added.

She further added that the desire of MOSPORTS is to partner with BCDA in the area of sports and to bring it closer to the children and youths in the border communities. This initiative is geared towards discovering the untapped talents in these communities and exposing them both nationally and internationally. This exposure will improve the fortunes of these young people both educationally and socially while on the long run it will enhance a brighter future for them both personally and for the nation at large.

The Nigerian sports brand emphasized that Sports being a unifying factor all over the world will help occupy the minds of our youths and capture their hearts, paving way for success with just a little encouragement, push and training.

She pointed out that parents need to be enlightened on the need to encourage their children to explore different sports in order to identify where their talents are. She also said MOSPORTS will be responsible for funding these sporting activities by raising funds from both private and public sectors.

She added that the main Sports of focus in this move are Baseball, Weightlifting, Wrestling and Table tennis as they are the sports activities where Nigerians excel especially in international competitions.

Responding, the Acting Executive Secretary (Ag. ES), Mrs. Tayo Odumosu thanked Mrs. Mary Onyali for her willingness to partner with BCDA and for honouring the Agency with the visit.

The Ag. ES commended MOSPORTS for the great initiative of the BOOST programme and applauded it as a welcome development which she sincerely believes will be beneficial to children and youths in the border communities and will produce future champions in sports.

She then called on International Development Partners, Agencies and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to urgently consider the pains and agony of millions of Nigerians living in the border communities. She emphasized that there is need for assistance in the provision of basic social infrastructures and security to bring succour to these people and make their lives more meaningful. She added that the three tiers of government alone cannot provide all the much needed infrastructures, hence the request for assistance.

Finally, the Ag. ES thanked Mrs. Onyali and her team for the visit and informed them that the desire of the Agency is to see youths and children from these border communities participate in all sporting activities to enable them win laurels for Nigeria at the African games, World championships and the 2024 Olympics through the joint efforts of MOSPORTS and BCDA.